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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a path
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rock — a stone
  8. current — electric
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. present — there
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — a stick
  19. current — of water
  20. board — a committee
  21. rock — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — the time now
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com